Electrolytic separation apparatus



Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST DASSBACH, OF HANAN-ON -THE-MAIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO IRVINGTON SMELTING & REFINING WORKS, OF IRVING-TON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTROLYTIC SEPARATION APPARATUS.

Application filed July 11, 1924. Serial No. 725,320.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST DASSBACH, a citizen of the Republic of Germany, and resident of Hanan-on-the-Main, Hessen-Nas- I sau, Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elec trolytic Separation Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the electrolytic separation of metals for instance, silver from other precious metals such as gold and the metals of the platinum group and consists more particularly in improved features and arrangement of the electrolytic separation apparatus of the Moebius type designed materially to facilitate the operation thereof, to produce a substantial increase in the efficiency of the operation and to effect other and substantial economics as related to the operation of electrolytic separation.

In the appa-ratus'as heretofore employed in practising the process for electrolytic sep aration of silver from anode plates containing other precious metals, the anodes and cathodes are suspended upon suitable supports within a vat containing an electrolyte solution, of customarily silver nitrate. with the provision for the passing of an electric current therebetween. In the resulting separation of the silver the crystals thereof grow upon the surface of the cathode with the tendency of bridging the gap or spacebetween the cathode and anode which would result in a short circuit and current losses. To prevent this scrapers have been cus tomarily provided and supported upon suitable frames which have been reciprocated to break off the silver crystals during their growth, allowing them to settle to the bottom-of the tank and the process to be progressively carried on. The scraper elements as heretofore used for this purpose have con sisted of wooden slats or rods supported to be movable between the anodes and cathodes. The practice of using scrapers of wood I have found to be objectionable and to be the cause of substantial current loss. This occurs by reason of the saturation of the wood fibre causing the short circuiting or passage of current through the saturated wood in contact with the crystals and accordingly the current so passing is ineffective in the electrolytic action.

To eliminate the substantial loss of efliciency thus incurred and in accordance with one feature of my present invention I employ scrapers in the form of glass rods which are impervious to the liquid and prescribe that the passage of the current shall be confined wholly within the solution and as a result a material increase in efficiency is obtained with, a substantial saving of current consumption. Further features of my present invention consist in an improved construction and arrangement of the scraper supporting parts designed particularly to allow for the easy removal of the parts to give access to the tanks or vats for discharging of the separated silver and for the in spection and recharging of the anodes and cathodes as required.

The described and other valuable features I and advantages of my present invention will be morefully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 isa vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of one of the electrolytic vats or tanks and illustrating the features of my invention as incorporated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carriage or scrgper supporting a unit of one of the vats, an

Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic plan View of a multiple installation of electrolytic vats illustrating the manner of operating the scraper carriers in unison.

In the approved embodiment of the features of my invention as herein disclosed 1 indicates the vat or tank within which the separation process is carried out and of which in practice a plurality are employed 7 and operated in unison as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 4. Each of the tanks contain the electrolyte solution and the tanks are provided at their upper portions with horizontal and longitudinally extending positive and negative terminal and supporting rods 3-3 and 44 for suspending the anodes and cathodes within the solution in the usual manner. The anode plates a containing the silver to be separated are contained within bags of canvas or other suitable fabric for retaining the metallic residue and are suspended by the usual hooks 5 of suitable electrical conducting metal. The cathodes 0 are similarly suspended from the terminal supporting rods 4 by the supporting hooks or links 6 of conducting material and may consist of the usual silver or carbon plates upon which the silver crystals are deposited by electrolysis.

In accordance with the customary practice automatically operating scrapers are provided for the purpose of continuously breaking off the enlarged crystal formations upon the cathodes so as to prevent the crystals bridging the space between the anodes and cathodes and resulting in short circuitmg of the energizing current. In accordance with my present invention the construction and arrangement of the supporting and carrying means for the scraper elements is of an improved design adapted to facilitate the removal of the scraper elements to'give access to the interior of the vats for the purpose of inspecting and renewal of the anodes, removal of the cathodes and for discharging of the silver deposited within the bottom of the vats. A particularly desirable feature of my improved scraper supporting and operating construction is the arrangement of separate carrier frames or carriages associated with each of the vats and readily removable as a unit and in the further arrangement whereby the several scraper supporting bars are detachably supported upon the carriages whereby the series of scrapers carried thereby are removable as a unit to give easy access to the anodes and cathodes operatively associated therewith.

In my improved construction, as illustrated, the carriages or rolling scraper carrier members 6 are desirably in the form of a rectangular metallic frame of a size substantially corresponding to the dimensions of the top of the vat. The longitudinal or side members thereof have attached thereto, adjacent to the ends thereof, suitable hearing studs 7 upon which are journalled grooved Wheels or rollers 8 fitted to ride' upon stationary rods or rails 9 supported above the vats and extending in parallel relation longitudinally thereof. The end frame members of the carriage are provided with suitable recesses or notches 10-10 spaced to receive the scraper supporting bars 12 to support them in properly s aced and parallel relation longitudinally o the vats. The supporting bars are accordingly merely set upon the carrier members within the notches, which determines their correct position and may be lifted from position at will Each of the scraper bars has attached thereto depending scraper elements 13 downwardly extending into the solution and interposed between the respective anodes and cathodes.

Similar separate scraper carrier members are provided for each of the vats and suitable operating means are provided for reciprocating the carrier 6 with a back and forth motion whereby the scraper elements 13 will traverse the area of the cathodes and operate continuously to break off the crystals therefrom.

The carrier members may desirably be operated in unison and the connection provided therefor here comprises'a rock shaft 1-5 journalled in suitable bearings to extend longitudinally of the series of vats and provided with an upwardly extending lever arm 16 for each of the .vats and its associated carriers. The rock shaft is oscillated by suitable driving means, here shown consisting of a motor m operating an eccentric 18 through suitable gearing with the eccentric 18 connected by a link 19 to a lever 20 fixed to the rock shaft 15. The upper or free ends of the operating levers 16 are positioned in the plane of the carrier members. For communicating the motion of the lever to the carrier member a detachable link connection is provided consisting of a forked link 22 pivotally connected to the operating lever 16 by a suitable bearingstud 23 and at its opposite end provided with a bolt or pin 24, arranged to be received within a notch or recess 25 provided in a connecting lug 26 secured to the carrier member 6 at one end thereof. The connection thus afforded al lows the carrier member to be readily detached from its operating connection to the lever 16 by lifting of the link 22 to withdraw the pin 24 from the notch 25. Upon so detaching the carrier member as will be readily understood, the carrier member and scraper elements of one vat carried thereby, may be bodily removed as a unit to give full access to the interior of the vat for the discharging of its contents or for inspection as may be required. This arrangement further allows of conveniently discharging or inspecting a series of the vats by detaching the operating connections of the successive carriers and shifting their positions to an adjacent vat as the operator progresses down the line.

The separable arrangement of the individual scraper supporting bars 12, of which there are here shown four for each carrier, materially contributes to the ease of operation in that the individual bars are of a size to be easily and quickly handled thereby simplifying the operation of inspecting and renewal of the cathodes as constantly required and accordingly contribute to the efliciency of the operation.

A further valuable feature of the present invention resides in the use of scraper elements of insulating material impervious to liquid and which are preferably in the form of glass rods of round cross-section aS here shown. I have found in practice that the cident to the saturation of the Wood of the scrapers as heretofore used, which has allowed of the short circuiting or dissipation of a substantial amount of current so as to be ineffective in the electrolytic action.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. In an apparatus for separating metals, a plurality or dissolving vats, means for supporting the anodes and cathodes within the vats, scraper elements interposed between the anodes and cathodes and supporting means for the scraper elements consisting of sep arate movable carriages associated with each of the vats, scraper supporting bars detachably mounted upon the carriages, operating means and detachable connections between the carriages and the operating means adapted to permit the removal of each of the carriages as a unit.

2. In an apparatus for. separating metals, a plurality of dissolving vats, means for supporting the anodes and cathodes within the vats, scraper elements interposed between the anodes and cathodes, supporting rails positioned above the vats and supporting means for the scraper elements consisting of separate roller carriages associated with each of the vats and bearing upon the rails, operating means and detachable connections between the carriages and operating means adapted to permit the removal of the individual carriages as a unit.

3. In an apparatus for separating metals, having in combination with a dissolving vat, means for supporting the anodes and cathodes within the vat, scraper elements in terposed between the anodes and cathodes and supporting means for the scraper elements comprising supporting rails positioned above the vat, a roller carrier member bearing upon the rails and scraper supporting bars detachably supported upon the carrier member to be independentlv removable therefrom and operating means for reciprocating the carrier members.

4. In an apparatus for separating metals, having in combination with a dissolving vat, means for supporting the anodes and cathodes within the vat, scraper elements interposed between the anodes and cathodes and operating means for the scraper elements consisting of guide rails suitably supported, a carrier or carriage member provided with rollers fitted to the rails, a plurality of scraper supporting bars detachably mounted upon the carriage. operating means comprising a rock shaft, an operating lever mounted thereon and a connecting link between the operating lever and the car riage, substantially as described.

5. In an'apparatus for separating metals, a plurality of dissolving vats, means for sup-' porting the anodes and cathodes within the vats in spaced series relation, scraper elements interposed between the anodes and cathodes and supporting means for the scraper elements comprising suitable supporting rails, separate movable carriage members associated with each of the vats and provided with bearing rollers fitted to the rails, scraper supporting bars detachably mounted upon the carriage members by being fitted to spaced notches formed in the carriage members and operating means for the carriages consisting of a rock shaft, opcrating levers fixed to the rock shaftand associated with each of the vats, detachable connections between the carriage members and the related operating lever and means for oscillating the rock shaft, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for separating metals having in combination with a dissolving vat, means for supporting the anodes and cathodes within the vat, scraper elements interposed between the anodes and cathodes and movable supporting means for the scraper elements for actuating the latter for breaking of the crystal formations, said scraper elements being formed of rods of insulating material impervious to the liquid solution. 1

7. In an apparatus for separating metals, having in combination with a dissolving vat, means for supporting the anodes and cathodes within the vat, scraper-elements interposed between the anodes and cathodes and movable supporting means for scraper elements for actuating the latter for breaking of the crystal formations, said scraper elements being formed of glass or other material impervious to the liquid solution.

Signed at Irvington in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey this 19th day of June, A. D. 1924.

AUGUST DASSBACH. 

